1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related generally to the field of sterile packaging. In particular, it relates to a device and method for sterile packaging of sterilized items such as endoscopes after reprocessing.
2. Description of the Related Art
The importance of sterile medical and dental equipment has been recognized for many years. Sterilizing dental and medical instruments prior to use may be accomplished in a number of ways such as steam or heat sterilization through autoclaving, liquid or vapor chemical sterilization through soaking, irradiation, or ethylene oxide. However, each of these methods has drawbacks. Irradiation and ethylene oxide systems require large capital expenditures. Autoclaving is limited to those items that can withstand repeated high temperatures. Liquid and vapor chemical sterilization is generally limited to surface sterilization and cannot be used to sterilize items within fluid tight packages.
Hospitals and clinics that use heat sensitive medical and dental equipment such as endoscopes are generally prefer to use liquid chemical sterilization.
However, the sterile environment of liquid chemical sterilization is breached as soon as the sterilizing system is opened. Therefore, a system is needed for long term storage that encloses the sterilizable item into a sterile portable package before the sterile environment is breached.
A new and useful sterile packaging apparatus and method is needed that overcomes the problems associated with conventional methods of sterile packaging by providing a sterile packaging system that fluidly connects to a sterilizer.